Monday, April 18, 2011

I had an idea for a real article today. But I'm tired of writing after finishing off my first e-book (more on that later) and doing taxes.

Here instead is a comic from a zine I made circa 1983. My friend Logan scanned it. But the scan is pretty bad. I fixed a couple lines that were completely illegible. Click on the image and it'll show up bigger. It's a true story! And one that I hadn't remembered in years.

Here are my upcoming live appearances in Georgia and Tennessee. For more info including links to all venues, go to my tour page.

1985, Plano texas. i wear my dead kennedys "nazi punks fuck off" shirt to Clark High school and get called down to the office. They tell me I have to wear my t-shirt inside out or be suspended. I mention that the kid in front of me in gym wears a "Adolf Hitler, European tour" t shirt almost every day. The Vice principal replies, "The Adolph Hitler shirt doesnt have a curse word on it".

1985, Plano texas. i wear my dead kennedys "nazi punks fuck off" shirt to Clark High school and get called down to the office. They tell me I have to wear my t-shirt inside out or be suspended. I mention that the kid in front of me in gym wears a "Adolf Hitler, European tour" t shirt almost every day. The Vice principal replies, "The Adolph Hitler shirt doesnt have a curse word on it".

Well thats kind of the point, isn't it, perhaps you are basing your comments on Texas, for example, or skinheads, on the typical, "statistical" popular model, rather than personal experience, which, for example, I have.

"One Saturday morning a student arrived late for the beginning of a sesshin. He was Suzuki Roshi's first ordained student to wear the traditional priest's robe, the okesa in America. After breakfast Suzuki took him to task saying, "Priests don't arrive late! You're no priest! You have no right to wear that okesa!"

The student was mortified and started to take off his robe.

"What are you doing?" said Suzuki. "No one has the right to tell you take off the okesa."

I consider it part of my life's work and music to push the boundaries of love and acceptance. My apologies for not speaking thoughtfully. To anyone that was hurt, please know that it was furiously unintentional.

You might not think Elvis was the King of Rock and Roll but, the block-long room filled with framed gold records might change your mind.

And the room filled with testaments to his local philanthropy and generosity to charities is impressive.

As are all of the themed rooms, and the general white-trash-kid-makes-good gaudiness of it all.

At the end of the tour I was shocked when we were led into a gated, fenced in garden with the graves of Elvis, his & his folks who lived with him there. His grave had a torch thing like JFK's but the flame had gone out.

Early in the mornings for all of you.Sit motionless. Do not grumble of bad environments. Build up your character properly. Establish virtuous healthy habits. Understand the glory, splendor and glory of God, who is at the back of your mind, thoughts, will and memory. Keep your body strong and healthy through regular exercise. Become a spiritual hero. Shut out the doors of the senses. Still the thoughts, emotions and feelings. Sit motionless and calm in the early morning hours. Have a receptive attitude. Go along with God. Enjoy peace in the silence. How I like these golden rules that have come out from some divine lips.

I am a full time evangelist, also a serpent handler. You know we also drink poison, and handle fire. We are a people who are true to their belief, it is not a show but praise unto God. You can tell we have a great love for God and one another. Over the years our church has shrunk considerably, yet though we may have lost followers we have lost absolutely no power. Thank god though that the church is now beginning to grow again with leaps and bounds in the great states of Alabama mainly Alabama, but also in Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky , The Carolina’s and in Virginia, and West Virginia. People are once again hungry for God and Love of their fellow man. The bile says in Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 16:18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 16:19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.And in Luke 10:19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.If you hunger and thrust after righteousness you shall be filled.

I'll tell you what. He (Obama) went to Occidental College. Then suddenly he ends up at one of the best schools in the country, Columbia. He vaults from there to Harvard Law School. Suddenly he's on the Harvard Law Review. Suddenly he's the editor of Harvard Law Review. We've never seen any grades of the guy. He is at least as fishy as George W Bush.

Some shake their heads dismissively at these “nut-jobs” who so rigidly tread the perilous path they believe God has set aside for them. Some people are genuinely repulsed, shaking their fingers and crying out “blasphemy!” to the highest courts in the land. Others still are merely curios. What does it feel like? How is it done? It is not unheard of, however, for even the most innocent of observers to be caught up in and swept away by the spiritual fervor of those homos who take up serpents in the name of Jesus Christ.

At 8:26, 27, 28 is mysterion wearing his compassionate Buddhist, loving liberal, wise academic hat. Or more accurately, his hood.

mysterion's Brother Love @8:32 is closer the real mysterion, but I think he is still holding back a little. Some of his other anonymous persona's are even more crazy. Who but an old man would use the antiquated pejorative Homo?

M, I'm glad you admit to using the cowardly put-down under an alias. Previously you've denied commenting under another name. Your cravenness is first-rate and out of the closet to anyone paying attention.

We do not have time for this kind of silliness. We have better stuff to do. I have got better stuff to do. We have got big problems to solve...We are not going to be able to do it if we are distracted, we are not going to be able to do it if we spend time vilifying each other ... if we just make stuff up and pretend that facts are not facts, we are not going to be able to solve our problems if we get distracted by side shows and carnival barkers.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Zen practice, and sharing yourself through your blogs and your writing. To me your "teachings" are very clear and simple, and helpful. And your philosophical temperament resonates very much with my own. Thanks again. -Gassho-